1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging devices, imaging device controlling methods, and computer programs. More specifically, the present invention relates to an imaging device, an imaging device controlling method, and a computer program with which control is exercised to prevent red eyes that occur due to strobe emission.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a picture of a person is taken with strobe emission using an imaging device (e.g., a camera), in some cases, the eyes of the person look red in the picture, i.e., red eyes occur. This is because human pupils are opened widely under a relatively dark environment, and when strobe light (flash) is emitted in this state, the strobe light is reflected by the red color of the capillaries of the retinas, so that the eyes are captured as looking red.
Various techniques for preventing red eyes have been proposed. For example, according to a scheme disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-107565, an image acquired by an imaging device is analyzed to check whether a human face is included in the image, and when a face is detected, red-eye preventing emission, i.e., pre-emission before strobe emission, is executed. However, according to this scheme, red-eye preventing emission is executed whenever a human face is detected. Thus, red-eye preventing emission is executed even when taking a picture of a person under a bright environment, in which red eyes are not likely to occur. This causes useless emission.
According to a scheme disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-234009, a luminance in an imaging environment is measured, and when the luminance is less than a predetermined threshold, red-eye preventing emission, i.e., pre-emission before strobe emission, is executed. However, according to this scheme, red-eye preventing emission is executed whenever the luminance is low. Thus, pre-emission is executed even when no person is included in a captured image. This cases useless emission.